Katsuura勝浦

Spectacular whale and dolphin-watching tours. Kino-matsushima is dotted with an additional 130 beautiful islets in the bay.

Nachi-Katsuura-machi Town located in the southeast of Wakayama faces the Katsuura Bay on the southern coast of the Kii-hanto Peninsula. It has developed as a pilgrims' inn town for the worshipers of Kumano Nachi-taisha Shrine. Today it is a base for fishery that boasts one of the largest hauls of fresh tunas. The town has numerous eating houses where you can enjoy fresh gift from the sea to your heart's content.

There is Kino-matsushima studded with some 130 islets in the Katsuura Bay. The inlets and rocks have unique names such as Camel Rock, Lion Islet and Tsuru or Crane Islet. You can cruise among the islets by pleasure boat.

Hot springs are abundant in Katsuura. It is a representative hot spring site of Wakayama, rivaling with Shirahama. There are numerous hot springs, including the Boki-do Hot Spring inside a natural cave formed by waves and winds, Rakuda-no-yu or camel hot spring and Kishu Chomon-no-yu, a hot spring you bathe in while listening to the sound of the tide. Those hot springs are open to public in daytime as well.

A boat for the Southern Kishu Maritime Experience Cruise starts from Ugui Port located between Katsuura and Shingu to enjoy watching whales or dolphins. The boat operates from late April to late September. You may see a sperm whale during five months from spring to autumn, and dolphins throughout the year.